Current News

10/21/2015
Call to order at 4:00. In attendance approximately 10% of membership in attendance.

Legislative update: OEA encourages a yes vote on issue 1. ( redistricting). Youngstown take over is in progress. We must be politically active and aware that this could be our future. Members were updated on the findings of the distress committee. It is available on WordPress to inform of what our district is doing to address their findings .. The committee will be back in the district (senior high) this week on Thursday to check in. Please review this to be informed.

FCPE drive update given by Paula Kelly. Forms were shared. Our participation is based on percentage, not on total dollars donated. Drive will end November 21. All forms should be returned to Paula at LSH.

OTES committee: need elementary rep (Miriam) Lawren Neely

Negotiations/insurance update given from Karen. Information was shared on new insurance costs/coverage. Surveys were distributed for negotiations. Copies were sent out to building reps to distribute to members.

Constitutional Amendment: was tabled for further discussion.

Rep meeting 9/15/15
Call to order at 4:00
Welcome : reps introductions.
Secretary report from March not available at this time.

Meeting locations will vary this year to make access easier for more members to attend if they wish.

Calendar: there is a question about whether our calendar is over in the number of days. Patrick and Barry are checking into this issue. There was a change made before, so be sure you are looking at the latest version. We have a calendar committee in place that will meet later this year.

Teacher sick days: Sawmiller has enough days for the rest of the year. Thank you to our generous membership. Also, some sick days earned at charter school can be transferred over. Private schools cannot.
If you have someone who feels they want to apply for sick bank, contact Patrick or Barry.

Evaluation committee: still looking for volunteers, especially elementary and high school.

Resource officers: putting people at buildings by enrollment. The goal is every building has one by Christmas. Requesting members to see a job description to help understand what these people will be doing in buildings. Patrick will send that out.

DAT: district action team meets monthly.

Assault protocol: Please make sure you are aware of the procedures and that they are being followed. DO NOT block a student from leaving your room, even in the event of a lockdown. This comes from Nate. There are new lockdown procedures. Not every building has been made aware of this new protocol. Just let them go and notify the office immediately. Also a good idea to let your building rep know.

Membership: the school board is currently moving to terminate 2 teachers. The first never reported for duty, so she was not technically a member so we cannot offer protection. The second has been offered legal assistance.

Weingarten rights: Reps were given cards to help with their duties if you are called to your supervisor’s office for discipline issues.

Treasurer report not available at this time.

LPDC: We need a high school rep for this committee. Please contact Barry if interested.

Concerns: What have we found out about staff dress code? All dress codes that are currently in buildings have not gone through the school board protocols.

There being no further items for discussion, meeting adjourned at 4:59.

11-14-14

House Republicans out to change teacher pay structure– again. Read it here.

9-3-14
The contract ratification passed by a strong majority!

5-27-14
Due to new circumstances, the tentative agreement is NOT in effect. Please inform your members that there will be no meeting today and no voting as there is no contract to present for approval.
More information will be coming as soon as possible.

5-23-14
We have reached a tentative agreement in contract negotiations.
The information will be shared on Tuesday, May 27 at the Lima Senior Auditorium beginning at 3:30.
We recognize that all buildings dismiss at different times. Please come when you can.
We ask that building reps please be sure there is someone from your building to bring back information to anyone who cannot attend.
Voting is scheduled for Monday, June 2 at the Spartan Inn from 2:00 -4:00. Members will need to bring ID when voting.

4-2-14
SB 229 (new legislation for OTES) was discussed last night at our LEA exec board meeting. The intention of this initial legislation was to make some common sense changes to the OTES program (such as giving districts the option to weight student test scores lower than 50% of the evaluation…more specifically down to 35% and make provisions that teachers who are rated skilled and accomplished only be evaluated every 3 years.) It has since taken on a whole new life…in the worst way possible.

Some of the changes that could be coming our way include:
>student surveys being factored in to our evaluation scores (20%)
>state testing for all grade levels in ALL subject areas (K-12)
> provisions that prohibit a teacher from being rated “developing” due to below average student growth measures 2 years in a row (the second year they must be rated ineffective if student growth measures are below average)
>AND includes a stipulation that any teacher who receives an ineffective rating 2 years in a row MAY NOT be assigned students the following year (so essentially if your students make below average growth 3 years in a row you can not be assigned students. Not being assigned students = ??no more job??)

I am going to place copies of these proposed changes in the lounge. PLEASE take the time to look at it and pay close attention to the Teacher evaluation ratings table on the last page. At some point….no matter how high you score on your observations…below average student growth scores are going to force your rating to ineffective.

The good news…this hasn’t passed….YET. There is still time to contact the state reps that sit on the House Education Committee and your local reps at the state house as well. I have included a VERY INSPIRATIONAL letter written by an Ohio teacher that was posted on PLUNDERBUND.com. I am tempted to copy it verbatim and send it daily to the addresses provided for you below. Please take the time to read it.

9-9-13: Due to some new information, the LEA membership has accepted the tentative contract.

8-25-13: If you haven’t seen what is being said about us on the Lima News site, please check here: limaohio.com

8-10-13: We have a tentative agreement for our contract that we will be discussing after the opening day meeting at Lima Senior on August 19th. We will have voting at Westgate Bowling Lanes from 3-6 on Thursday, August 22.

Here is the information that was shared at the General Assembly meeting regarding the state budget for education, the 3rd grade reading guarantee, and other important things that can affect us. It does take several seconds for it to appear, so please be pateint. Budget Powerpoint All Staff Meeting April 18, 2013

May 1, 2013

Lawmakers set to introduce ‘right to work’ state bill in Ohio House

COLUMBUS – A pair of Ohio lawmakers are preparing bills that would have Ohio follow the lead of neighbors Michigan and Indiana in becoming a “right-to-work” state.

Reps. Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) and Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) circulated memos Tuesday asking colleagues to sign on as co-sponsors to separate bills that together would bar public and private-sector workers from having to pay fees in lieu of dues to workplace unions they refuse to join.

This occurs the same time a separate petition effort continues to put a proposed right-to-work constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Republican Gov. John Kasich and GOP leaders of both the House and Senate, however, were reluctant Tuesday to embrace the controversial idea, which Democrats characterized as a Senate Bill 5 redux.

Democrats were referring to the GOP-passed collective bargaining restrictions that voters soundly rejected in 2011.

“I’m supportive of any member putting in any bill that they want to put in. Nothing further,” House Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) said. “We will obviously visit with the Senate and the governor’s office to see if they have support for it.”

Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) also was noncommittal, noting he knows of no similar effort in his chamber. “It’s news to me,” he said.

Maag and Roegner will hold a news conference today to formally unveil their proposals.

In the wake of the stinging rebuke of Senate Bill 5, Kassich has been extremely cautious in this area.

“There have been nearly 300 bills introduced so far this year,” spokesman Rob Nichols said. “We don’t weigh in on all of them, and it would be premature to do so on these. The governor has a big agenda that’s moving through the legislature, and he continues to work on it.”

The only announced candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2014, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, wasted little time tying the move to “Gov. Kasich’s allies.”

“I stood against these attacks on our everyday heroes and Ohio’s middle class when I voted against Gov. Kasich’s Senate Bill 5,” he said. “As governor, I promise to stand up for the working families in Ohio, and stand behind the middle class that keeps our economy strong.”

Becky Williams, president of Service Employees International Union District 1199, called on Kasich and GOP legislative leaders to block the effort in their ranks. “This will hurt people we trust, like librarians, nurses, mental health providers, social workers, and so many others,” she said. “This is just another attempt by CEOs and corporate interests to end unions, as we know them, so they can tip the balance even more in their favor at the expense of the middle class.”

Chris Littleton of Ohioans for Workplace Freedom applauded the legislative moves but stressed that introduction of bills in the House will not slow his group’s effort to put a constitutional amendment before voters.

“We wouldn’t put all our eggs in the basket of the legislature,” he said. “I’m fine with whatever makes this law in Ohio.” Littleton said it would be a “long shot” for the group to gather the roughly 380,000 signatures of registered voters needed by July 3, the deadline to qualify for the November ballot. If the question qualifies for next year, it would appear on the ballot at the same time as Kasich and lawmakers.

April 23, 2013

ACE Action Alert
Advocates for Children and Education

Last week the Ohio House voted to send its version of Governor Kasich’s two year budget to the Ohio Senate. We need you to join with fellow educators across the state and lobby your State Senator on April 30th, 2013 to improve the bill.

The House passed its version of Governor Kasich’s two year spending plan, and one thing is clear – they did nothing to improve the Governor’s proposal on public school funding.

But the budget debate is not over. The budget is now in the Ohio Senate, and you now have an opportunity to make a huge impact in improving Ohio’s public education funding formula and getting rid of a number of negative education policies contained within the bill.

You can ensure that your voice is heard by signing up to participate in OEA’s next Member Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

In addition to the budget bill, the legislature is considering these education policies:

The Ohio House is holding hearings on improvements to the Third Grade Reading Guarantee;

The OEA has been lobbying the Ohio Senate to include an amendment in the budget bill that would lower the percentage of value-added scores in teacher evaluations.

That is why we need members like you to tell your stories and talk to your Senator and Representative about these important issues.

You can ensure that your voice is heard by signing up to participate in OEA’s next Member Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.